A True Friend
by Kadros
Summary: Tristan ends up in Hyrule, trying to return home. Little does he know of the weight his actions carry in this world. Chapter 6 is up.
1. Leaving Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda or anything Zelda related. In fact, the only thing I own in this fanfiction is Tristan Nieves.  
  
A True Friend  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Leaving Home"  
  
Tristan Nieves was not your average 16 year-old American male. Sure, he played sports. He was on the basketball and tennis teams. Yes, he did have a brain, as he was 3rd in his class. And that's where normality came crashing to a halt. One of his greatest fears was taking a leadership position, and that was why he didn't have a girlfriend. He was afraid of making a move, even asking a girl out. His fear also extended into daily life. Tristan had trouble starting conversations with anyone, even his own parents. He only answered in class when he was called on, and then he usually stuttered out the answer. He never took point guard on the basketball team, and refused to play singles in tennis. He also had a terrible self-image, and wondered why no one ever tried to talk to him. The answer, of course was right in front of his eyes if only he bothered to look hard enough: He wouldn't carry the conversation.  
  
Tristan did pride himself in one thing, though. Gaming. He was an avid gamer, from card games to computer games and everything in between, Tristan could play most with excellence. His favorite game of all time was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He had beaten the game countless times, each time with a certain skill that most would give their left leg for. He could beat the game in as little as 2 hours, or he could examine every corner of Hyrule and receive every item. Either way, he could impress an audience consisting of non-gamers with his talent. All it took was a little flick of the power switch, and the world of Hyrule dominated Tristan's entire being. He only wished he could get there somehow.  
  
Every night, he wished that he could find some way into Hyrule somehow, be it through his N64, or some other means of transport. However, no amount of wishing could make this dream come true. Until one midsummer day, right after a thunderstorm. Tristan had gone out hiking that day, to relieve a bit of stress that was accumulating at home over chores. It wasn't his fault that his little sister made a mess all over the kitchen floor, so he shouldn't have to clean it up. After grudgingly cleaning the mess, Tristan walked out to explore the woods in his backyard a bit. After a storm, the world looked so different, like a kind of magic swept the land.  
  
As Tristan was walking, admiring the scenery, he tripped over a stone protruding from the soil. "Ahhhhhh-ouch!" was his only audible reply to the offending rock. He sat up, and rubbed his ankle, which he seemed to have pulled a muscle in. "Stupid rock" he said. After a few minutes, when the pain had gone down to a tolerable point, Tristan stood up, trying not to put too much strain on his ankle. 'Great, here I am, out in the woods, with a rather painful throbbing in my ankle. What else could go wrong?' he asked himself. Releasing a resigned sigh, Tristan started the trek home. That's when he saw it. A slightly glowing circle that seemed to shimmer as it stood between two trees. Tristan stopped dead in his tracks. 'What the heck is that thing? Some kind of alien transporting device?' He hobbled over to the glowing section of air to examine it a bit more closely, and to see if it was just a trick of the light on the newly wet forest floor. As Tristan pulled closer to the light, however, he felt a strange pulling sensation, as if the portal was trying to engulf him. Suddenly realizing that he shouldn't be moving at the glowing air that rapidly, Tristan turned to run, but the pain in his ankle wouldn't let him, and before he knew it, a bright light blinded him to the rest of the world, and Tristan felt himself falling very quickly.  
  
Author's note: Okay, so there wasn't much Zelda in it yet, but it was the first chapter! I had to introduce him somehow. Please R+R, but be gentle. This is my first fanfiction. So no flamethrowers, just blowtorches. 


	2. A World of a Difference

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or anything Zelda related. In fact, the only thing I own in this fanfiction is Tristan Nieves.  
  
A True Friend  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"A World of a Difference"  
  
First there was darkness. A lot of darkness. The kind of darkness that doesn't come from shadows, but from a complete lack of light, the kind of darkness that envelops your entire body, leaving you lost, confused, and completely alone. To Tristan, this darkness gave a kind of security, that nothing could harm him while he remained in the emptiness. However, the darkness was beginning to shrink away from him, and a bright light seemed to shoot straight for him. As Tristan looked a bit closer at this light, he realized that it was in the shape of some kind of sword. And it was headed right at him. Tristan got up to run from the light, but his ankle protested in pain and Tristan was reduced to a shuffle away from the shape that was approaching him at terrifying speeds. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw the sword only inches from his back. The sword made a final lunge, and Tristan felt it pierce his heart, waves of pain coursing through his body. Tristan stopped short, and looked down at the light through his body. When he realized that he had been stabbed, Tristan slowly fell to his knees, and then all went black again.  
  
Link lay on his bed, shuddering and shaking from his nightmare. It all seemed so real. The rain pouring down, the squeaking of the drawbridge, the patter of the hooves. It seemed as though he was there, trying to. well, he didn't know what he was doing there. First off, he was a Kokiri, and he couldn't leave the forest. Link was sure there wasn't a castle anywhere in the woods. And that girl, she looked so desperate, as if trying to tell him something, but unable to. Trying to tell him something of the utmost importance.  
  
Tristan slowly opened his eyes, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He forced himself not to look down, because he knew that the sword must still be lodged in his heart, judging from the immense pain. But after a few minutes, he could bear it no longer, and looked down at his chest. Instead of a sword made of light, he saw a long wooden staff. Holding the staff was a creature that seemed to have no real face, but red glowing eyes stood out in that mass of darkness. Tristan stared at the creature, and the creature stared back. "Ummm, excuse me, but, do you happen to know where I am?" Tristan asked the creature. It looked at him for some time before finally replying. It spoke English, but it seemed to have a problem with its "s". "You are in the Lossst Woodsss, tressspasssssser." Tristan looked a little afraid. Trespasser? Him? He didn't even know where he was. "The Lost Woods? I don't think I've ever heard of that." was his reply. "The Lossst Woodsss isss where the Kokiri come to gather herbsss and ssspices for their mealsss. All who are not Kokiri change into Ssskull Kidsss, like myssself." Tristan could only blink. Kokiri and Skull Kids were characters in a video game! They weren't real! Whoever was doing this was being a real jerk, playing with his mind. There was no way that Tristan could be in the Lost Woods. Hyrule didn't exist. Nothing in it did. Zelda was all just a video game. But here was this person who did look remarkably like a Skull Kid. And this Skull Kid was slowly applying more and more pressure on the staff. "Okay, I believe you, now could you get that staff off of my chest, please? It really is quite painful." "No, young one. All who enter thisss sssacred plassse are doomed to be SSSkull Kidsss forever! Thisss ssstaff will change you, as long as you stay pinned to the floor of these woods!" Tristan panicked. This wasn't a dream or a hallucination. Or if it was a dream, then it was a remarkably good one. This was real, it had to be. A real Skull Kid, to curse him for all eternity. Tristan grabbed the staff and tried to push it off his chest. Amazingly, the Skull Kid, who seemed so tough, had little strength, and the staff came off his chest easily. He wasn't sure, but Tristan thought he saw fear in the Skull Kid's eyes. After Tristan had freed himself of the staff and stood upright, it was apparent that the Skull Kid was terrified of Tristan, and ran away into the Lost Woods, never to be seen again.  
  
Tristan dusted off his clothes, shook his head to clear it, and took in his surroundings. 'Well, judging from that encounter,' Tristan thought to himself, 'I get the distinct impression that I'm in Hyrule, in the Lost Woods. If that's true, then the Kokiri Forest, the Great Deku Tree, and Link should all be in. that direction.' Tristan chose a random direction and started walking, praying to God he had picked the right way.  
  
Navi was busy flying over Link's head, trying to get the young boy to wake up. "Hey! You! Get out of bed! The Great Deku Tree wants to see you right now!" Upon hearing the Great Deku Tree's name, Link sat bolt upright in his bed, clearing the sand from his eyes. "The Great Deku Tree wants to see me? Why? Did I do something? If it was the killing of the Deku Baba, I swear it wasn't me! I bet it was-" "You aren't in trouble so will you relax?" interrupted the fairy. "He just wants to have a few words with you. He didn't tell me what about though, so there's no use in asking me what about. Now get out of bed so we can get going!" With a sigh Link got out of bed, put on his boots and favorite hat, and headed out of his house, unknowingly about to accept a task that would change the fate of all of Hyrule. 


	3. Unanswered Questions

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or anything Zelda related. In fact, the only thing I own in this fanfiction is Tristan Nieves. My sister owns the cryptic sayings.  
  
A True Friend  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Unanswered Questions"  
  
As Link stepped onto his porch, he saw Saria, his childhood friend, running at him. "Link! Link! There you are! I've been waiting for you to get up!" she yelled out to him. With a grin on his face, Link climbed down the ladder that connected his house to the forest floor. "Hey Saria, sorry I got up so late. I had that nightmare again. It's getting worse and worse every day." Link replied. Saria frowned. "Link, this is the second week in a row that you've had that nightmare. Maybe you should see the Great Deku Tree. He usually has good advice, if it is a bit cryptic." Link nodded his agreement. The last time he had visited the Great Deku Tree, he had asked why the Lost Woods were forbidden to him. The Tree's only reply was:  
  
"Kokiri are a kind apart,  
  
They alone posses the heart.  
  
Great wonders in the Forest lie,  
  
Shown only to the small one's eye."  
  
Link still hadn't figured out what the Tree was getting at. At that moment, Navi decided to fly out from behind Link's shoulder, much to the surprise of both Kokiri. Saria suddenly gave Link a big smile. "Link, why didn't you tell me you had a fairy? She's so beautiful! What's her name?" Link was startled by the sudden onslaught of questions. "Ummm, I just got her this morning. And her name is, ummm, Navi took that moment to introduce herself. "I'm Navi. Link and I are both headed to the Great Deku Tree right now. He wants to speak with Link about something important!" Saria's face suddenly turned solemn. "Link, if you've been summoned by the Great Deku Tree, you should go right away! Why aren't you there already?" Link was a bit surprised at this sudden change in Saria. "What do you mean? I'm not there because you wanted to-" "Never mind what I want!" Saria interrupted. "The Great Deku Tree wants to tell you something and here you are, carrying on a conversation with someone like me. Get yourself over there, now!" Link decided that Saria was getting a little too passionate for his tastes, and took a pause in her speech to dart past the green haired girl towards the meadow of the Deku Tree. Saria sighed and shook her head as she watched Link run from her. "Someday that boy will learn his place."  
  
Link was running as fast as he could away from his house and Saria, not watching where he was going. The next thing he knew was he had tripped over Mido, who was spending the day, laying in front of the only passage to the Great Deku Tree. "Hey, watch where you're going, Mr. No Fairy!" Mido cried out in anger as he and Link got up and dusted off their clothes. "You could hurt somebody just laying there like that, Mido. Someone might trip over you." Mido growled at Link's innocent suggestion. "Oh, and I suppose you're Mr. Perfect now, huh? Why are you here anyway? Our father doesn't speak to people who aren't Kokiri! And you don't look like you even have a guardian fairy!" At the mention of fairies, Navi shot out of Link's hat. "Oh, really? I'm pretty sure that I pass for a fairy, so why don't you just let Link pass? The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to him." Mido was dumbfounded for a few moments. 'How can this loser have a fairy? Maybe he really is a Ko-' Mido caught himself before he finished that thought, and shook his head to keep it from coming back. "Well, even if you do have a fairy, you still don't have a sword or a shield, do you? I can't let you pass if you can't even defend yourself from the deku babas that guard this passageway. So, sorry fairy, but he isn't ready to go yet." And with that, Mido crossed his arms and ignored the pleas from both Link and Navi for him to move. Inwardly, Mido was smiling at his success over Link. Even if the loser had somehow managed to acquire a fairy, shields were hard to find, and a sword hadn't been seen in this Forest for ages.  
  
It was official, Tristan was lost. No matter how hard he tried to find any kind of marker that would lead him to the Sacred Forest Meadow or the Kokiri Forest, the Lost Woods seemed to double back on themselves. 'Link had it easy in the game,' Tristan thought to himself. 'If he went the wrong way, he was instantly taken back to the Kokiri Forest.' But here he was, trapped in a forest of eternal fog and darkness, as the trees blocked out the sun. Every now and again, he would have to rest on a rock to take the pressure off of his ankle. This time, though, when he sat down on the softest rock he could find to rub the fire out of his foot, he swore he could hear laughter. Tristan just put it off as insanity or possibly more Skull Kids closing in on his location. After a few minutes rest, he stood back up, and strained his ears in the silence of the woods, trying to pick up any noise that would lead him to a village. Hearing nothing, he began his walk further into the Lost Woods. After a few feet he stopped again. Yes, that was definitely laughter. Tristan turned to face the direction it seemed to be coming from and hoped that this choice would take him out of these accursed woods.  
  
Link was headed back to his house, kicking up dust as he went. 'Mido is such a bully. Just because I bring a fairy with me, now he hates me for proving him wrong. It's not my fault that I'm a Kokiri' he thought to himself. Navi was rather upset as well. She had failed in her mission to bring Link to the Great Deku Tree, all because of a Kokiri's pride. She would tell the Great Tree about Mido's behavior, when she returned, but now she had a larger problem to deal with: getting Link to the Great Deku Tree. Right now the little Kokiri didn't look like he wanted to go anywhere. It seemed as though Mido's comments struck deeply to the little boy. And it was true, many ideas had been swarming through Link's head since Mido had caused him to stumble. Why was his fairy arriving now? Why not before? Then Mido wouldn't have anything to tease him about. And why was he forbidden to enter the Lost Woods? Why why why?  
  
Link's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden suggestion from Navi. "Link, we need to see the Deku Tree, and Mido won't let us pass unless we have some way to defend ourselves, so why don't we ask around for some advice on where to find a sword and shield?" Link looked up at the ball of light with a spark of interest. "But Navi, we're a peaceful race. Why would we need a sword or a shield?" Navi dug around her memories for a response. "Well, shield wouldn't be too hard to make. All you'd need is a bit of bark, and find a way to keep it from decomposing." "But Navi, why would we need a shield? We aren't at war with anyone." Navi's patience was starting to thin. Why didn't he get it? Taking a deep breath, she calmly explained it to him. "Well, Link, if you went into the Lost Woods, and you were attacked by wolfos, you wouldn't want to only have your arms to defend yourself with. A shield would prove useful then." Link pondered that thought for a bit. "Yes, I suppose you're right, but why would we need a sword? Life is a precious gift, and who are we, the Kokiri, to decide who keeps that gift?" Navi racked her brain for that one. "Link, I don't know why the Kokiri would need a sword, but the Great Deku Tree once told me this:  
  
"A force concealed,  
  
That might would wield.  
  
Adrift in the past,  
  
To arise at last."  
  
"I'm guessing that he meant that there is a sword somewhere in this forest, waiting for the proper moment to be retrieved." Link could only nod his agreement. "Well, let's ask around and see if anyone has a spare shield lying around." And with that, the conversation ended, and the search began.  
  
Tristan was almost certain that he was nearing the edge of the Lost Woods. The trees and fog seemed to be thinning, the sun was breaking through the canopy of the trees in larger patches now, and he knew that the voices he was hearing weren't caused by insanity. As he kept walking, the pain in his ankle slowly subsided to a mere annoyance, and then to nothingness. Every now and then, a twinge would pop up, but nothing serious, considering the situation he was in. And that's just what Tristan was doing, considering the situation. No matter what he thought of, he couldn't come up with a reason on how he got to Hyrule. The light in between the trees, it couldn't have been real. But then, how could he be here? The light definitely had pulled him in, but there was no explanation as to why he was in Hyrule. Tristan was busy thinking this through, when he suddenly noticed where he was. A rope bridge was suspended in the air, linking one path to a hollowed out log. A smile slowly crept across his face as he realized that the Kokiri Forest was in his reach. With a great enthusiasm, Tristan ran towards the rope bridge. 


	4. If the Shield Fits, Wear It

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or anything Zelda related. In fact, the only thing I own in this fanfiction is Tristan Nieves.  
  
A True Friend  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"If the Shield Fits, Wear It"  
  
When Tristan reached the rope bridge, he realized another hardship Link didn't face in the game: exhaustion. He was out of breath as he slumped down next to on of the many trees in this forest. Link never had to rest in a town; he went for days on end, just saving the world from the clutches of Ganondorf. That idea led to another, namely, the existence of the Evil King. What if Ganondorf found him before he was strong enough to face the King of Darkness? After all, the Master Sword was the only weapon strong enough to kill Ganondorf, or even reflect his energy blasts. All Tristan had was this staff of the Skull Kid who had attacked him. He looked the stick up and down, examining it closely for the first time. It was a normal walking stick, roughly as tall as his five foot eight inch frame. It was smoothed by something, and Tristan was guessing there was no sandpaper in this realm. Upon closer inspection, he noticed some carvings etched into the surface of the staff. Many small carvings were just patterns, there for decoration. However, one prominent carving, wrapping around the center of the walking stick, was that of the Triforce, several beams shooting out it, growing fainter and fainter as they strayed from the Triforce's power. He stared at the image for a few minutes before remembering where he was, and rose to his feet. He looked up at the rope bridge, suspended in the air several feet above him. "Oh, this isn't good," Tristan muttered to himself. The bridge was just out of his, reach even if he jumped as high as he could, and he didn't feel like wandering back into the Lost Woods to search for another entrance to the Kokiri Forest. Tristan sighed and looked up to the sky, where he could just make out the beginnings of a setting sun through the leaves. He spotted a raised platform that was within jumping distance of the bridge and weighed his options. Three minutes later, he had climbed onto the platform, and was preparing to jump. "Oh, this is gonna hurt," he whispered to himself as he jumped towards the bridge.  
  
Link had spotted a bit of bark lying on the ground that seemed as though it would make a suitable shield. And of course, like all of the other pieces of bark just lying around on the forest floor, this one was mostly decomposed, and fell apart in his hands when he picked it up. He sighed to himself, getting a little frustrated with his unsuccessful attempts to find a shield so Mido would let him pass. Navi kept encouraging him to look harder, and ask his friends for advice, but whenever Link asked them if they had any spare tree bark they'd like to get rid off, they just looked at him funny, as though he had grown a tail or something. Finally, Link gave up. He had enough of this search, this wild goose chase, trying to meet standards that not even Mido could pass. As he turned to go back to his treehouse, he heard the familiar yell of Saria's approach. "Hey there, Link!" He couldn't even smile as his best friend came running over. Saria noticed something was wrong and, as typical Saria would do, asked him about it. "What's wrong, Link? Did the Great Deku Tree give you bad news?" Link just sighed in response, and Saria frowned at her friend's lack of conversation. "Link, something's wrong, I can tell. So just tell me what the Deku Tree said, and I'll help you out with what he meant." Link looked hard into Saria's eyes. "I would if I knew what he was going to tell me!" he snapped at her. Saria jumped at the sudden outburst. "What do you mean, if you knew what he was going to tell you? He summoned you didn't he? Why haven't you been to see him yet?" "Because Mido won't let me pass! He said that even though I have a fairy, I need a sword and shield to pass, in case the deku babas try to attack me." Saria grew rather angry with Mido in that instant. He was supposed to treat everyone fairly, but here Link was, needing to see the Great Deku Tree, and Mido wouldn't let him pass. He was such a bully. Her face then brightened. "Link, I think I can fix one of your problems! Follow me!" Saria ran off in the direction of her house and Link followed, intrigued.  
  
With a thud, followed by a few choice words, Tristan landed on the bridge. "Note to self: Never do that again." He whispered to himself. However, Tristan knew better than to think that this was the only time he would have to jump onto uncomfortable surfaces. He looked at both ends of the bridge and listened for a noise of any kind that would bring him to the Kokiri Forest. As usual, Tristan could only make out the sounds of random laughter that seemed to come from the mouths of children. Picking out the direction the noise was coming from, Tristan prayed that he chose correctly.  
  
Saria walked into her home, followed closely by Link. She stopped by her bed, which was a pile of leaves inside a basket woven from branches. She reached into the pile, and pulled out a piece of wood. It was about as big as Link's chest, and slightly curved. On the curved side was an intricate painting, while on the other, which Link guessed was the back, were two loops that were just big enough for his arms to fit through. Saria looked at it for a bit, and turned to Link. Clutching it to her chest, she told him something she had never told anyone. "Link, I know this is weird, but the Great Deku Tree gave me this when I was a little girl, and told me that a friend would need me to provide protection for him. I think this is what he was talking about." And with that, Saria presented Link with the first of many treasures he would find on his journey: The Deku Shield.  
  
Tristan couldn't believe it. This really was the Kokiri Forest, as evident by the children running around, followed by the orbs of light that must be their fairies. Something seemed out of place in this place though, and Tristan knew exactly what it was: himself. Everything here looked as though it was made out of polygons, except him. He was still fully 3D, and definitely not pointed at the edges of his body. He sighed and kicked a rock, realizing that he'd never really fit in this strange world. Tristan sat down on the grass, just outside of the view of the eternal children, and took in his surroundings. Aside from the shapes that made up this village, it was quite beautiful. After a few moments, he noticed that if he let his eyes slip slightly out of focus, on of the nearby trees seemed to be made of real wood, rather than ink from an animators brush. Tristan then realized that this was no trick of his eyes. The tree was losing its strict form of the polygon, and gaining more of the qualities of a real tree. He ran over to the tree and inspected it. Yes, the tree was certainly becoming more lifelike, and the closer he got to the tree, the faster the change seemed to take place. Soon, the entire tree was freed from the polygons, and Tristan turned his attention to the village behind him.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you, canihavea-soda, for reviewing each chapter. This chapter was dedicated to you. 


	5. The Transformation Theory

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda in any way, shape, or form, except that I have a cartridge. It isn't even mine! It's my parent's! I do own Tristan Nieves, and the plot changes.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you, Cassandra Greenleaf, for pointing out the paragraph dilemma. Now, there shall be markers indicating a change in view point, instead of one paragraph per character. More spacing that way. Now, on with the adventure!  
  
A True Friend  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"The Transformation Theory"  
  
Tristan looked over the Kokiri Forest with a kind of respect he had never felt before. This was the place where it all started. Link and Navi pairing up, Link's first dungeon, and the death of the Great Deku Tree. He tried to see where the Tree was, but, just like in the game, there was a passage that seemed to be infinitely tall, and turned in many directions. Not only that, but the Kokiri Forest wasn't exactly small. Something not shown in the game was the distance between everything. This place wasn't very compact, with every building just a few seconds away from its neighbor, but rather, each house had its own sizeable backyard. As he looked closer at each house, he saw them slowly turning into 3D versions of themselves, but at an almost painfully slow rate, like watching paint dry. Tristan took his eyes off the tree houses, and looked at a Kokiri who seemed to be walking towards him.  
  
"Okay, any minute now, that girl is going to wonder what I'm doing here." Tristan said to himself. "Any minute now."  
  
Tristan watched as the girl walked by him, ignoring him the entire time, not bothering to even acknowledge his existence. Tristan was a bit puzzled by this lack of notice.  
  
'Why isn't she looking at me?' He wondered to himself. 'It's as if she doesn't even know I'm here! Oh, this could be bad. If no one can see me, then no one can help me get back to my own world!'  
  
Then he looked at his walking stick and remembered back to the Lost Woods, when the Skull Kid accosted him. No, people could definitely see him, but not this girl. That was odd. As she passed Tristan, he noticed a rather odd characteristic he assumed most of the people he would meet would have: When they moved so that Tristan saw them at a different angle, they seemed to rotate on the spot, so that they showed a different side of their face, while remaining completely flat.  
  
While Tristan pondered this oddity, the polygons from the Kokiri girl were rapidly leaving her, along with most of her programming. The next thing he knew, Tristan was back on the floor of the Forest, pinned down by a now fully 3D girl, who looked him with a mix of anger and confusion on her face.  
  
"You aren't the one who was to come, Traveler." she spat at him.  
  
Tristan could only look up into the girl's deep blue eyes in shock. This was not going to be easy.  
  
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Link left Saria's house with the Deku Shield attached to his back. He didn't quite understand what Saria meant by offering protection, but giving him the shield certainly fit the bill. He took it off his back, and admired the artwork on it. There didn't seem to be any definite picture, but it was breathtaking all the same.  
  
He looked up, a bit surprised to find himself in front of the training center. He must have been walking randomly while admiring the shield, and not realized where his feet had taken him, or even that his feet were moving. Link shrugged his shoulders and walked into the Know-It-All Brothers' house to ask them for a few pointers on training.  
  
When he walked in the door, Link noticed something was wrong, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. The wall opposite him, it didn't look quite right. To a casual observer, it would appear that there was nothing unusual about the house in general, but to one who looked more closely, they would discover something very peculiar about the very same wall. The viewer would not be able to clearly focus on the wall, and after a few minutes hard effort, would simply give up on trying. Much like Link did. He shook his head, and blamed his problem on the nightmare he kept receiving. Percy, one of the Know-it-all brothers looked up at Link, and started the conversation.  
  
"Hello, there, Link. What brings you to our domicile?"  
  
"Oh, not much, Percy, I was wondering if you could tell me a few things about this shield, that's all." Link held up the Deku shield for Percy to inspect.  
  
Percy looked the piece of wood over a bit, and looked back at Link. "Sure, I can tell you about this shield. If you want, I can even give you a little lesson out back on how to use it properly."  
  
Link smiled at the gracious offer. "Thanks, that would be great."  
  
Percy and Link walked out of the tree that made up the Know-it-all Brothers' house, and began their training.  
  
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The Kokiri girl was much stronger than she looked in the game, a fact that Tristan found out the hard way. No matter how much he struggled, the girl kept him firmly on the moss-covered ground.  
  
"Look, I think you have the wrong person. I don't know what you're talking about!" he exclaimed desperately, but his cries fell upon deaf ears.  
  
"I'm not stupid you know, Traveler, I can tell when something's wrong in this forest, and right now, that would be you!" the blue-eyed girl replied.  
  
After more struggling on Tristan's part, he resigned himself to the fact that this girl was in control of the situation. Why was she calling him a Traveler? And why was she suddenly attacking him, when before, she didn't even acknowledge his existence. Tristan had no idea about the Traveler part, but he was almost positive that the changes that occurred to the objects in this world whenever he was near, the change from a two dimensional being into that of a three dimensional one, affected their perspective. Maybe 3D characters could only interact with other 3D characters. No, that wasn't it. After all, Tristan had seen the girl walking towards him, but she couldn't see him until her transformation was complete. So characters that were freed from the polygons could see everything, but those who were still in the second dimension, lost all knowledge of the third dimension.  
  
This world kept getting stranger and stranger.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Author's Note: Just thought I'd comment on the reviews a bit, like my favorite author does.  
  
Heath 999: Don't worry, Link and Tristan should be meeting up in the next chapter or two. I'm still working out the details.  
  
Carscard: Here's your next installment. I hope it was good, and I'm still smiling. ::Looks around:: Can I stop now? My cheeks hurt.  
  
Canihavea-soda: Yeah, dedicated to you. Just my way of saying thanks for reviewing so darn much!  
  
OracleVortex: Oh no! Tristan is getting the girls already! And it's only 4 chapters in! Whatever will this poor teenage male do?  
  
And now for a few recommendations. If you liked this story, I suggest you go read:  
  
Untold Tales: Sheik by canihavea-soda. Amazing storyline, great detail! Go read it! Go review it!  
  
Reset Into the Game by OracleVortex. Another gamer in Hyrule fanfiction. Great writing style, great characters, great everything! Go review it! 


	6. A Meeting of the Heroes

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Zelda. Only the plot changes and Tristan Nieves.  
  
Author's Note: Grrrrrrr, I hate writer's block. I also hate not knowing when to end chapters. I also hate it when I stall the action. So without further ado, I start the story.  
  
P.S. This chapter is dedicated to OracleVortex. Thanks for reviewing for me. Also, thank you for inspiring me to write again. Everyone, go read her stuff, it's awesome!  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
A True Friend  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"The Meeting of the Heroes"  
  
~ ~ ~ "Shield up! That's it, now, here comes a hard one!" Percy yelled out to Link as they trained in the Know-it-all brother's backyard.  
  
As Percy swung a Deku stick at the other boy in the yard, Link put his shield in a perfect block, effectively reducing Percy's blow to a mere tap. Link didn't even flinch from the sharp contact when the two pieces of wood met. After only a few hours of practice, Link was already on his way to expertise with the shield. Percy attributed it to something he called "predisposition", but Link just thought it was skill. After all, how many ten-year olds did he know of that could use a shield effectively? After Percy took a few more swings, futily trying to find a weak spot in Link's defensive strategy, he waved his hand in surrender.  
  
"Link," Percy began, "you have a real gift there with that shield. It's almost as if you were born with that shield attached to your arm!"  
  
Link could only grin at the compliment. It took a lot to impress a Know-it- all brother, and Percy was in awe at Link's talent. It made Link feel a bit better about himself, and he almost forgot about the test Mido had placed before him. Link still needed a sword, and the Great Deku Tree wasn't getting any younger. As he leaned against the wall of Percy's house, he pondered where a sword might appear, if it ever did. He knew he couldn't count on Saria for one, since she had already supplied him with a shield, and would have given him a sword if she had one. Link sighed to himself and wondered how he would ever pass Mido's test.  
  
"Link, buddy, are you okay?" Percy asked.  
  
Link was jerked out of his reverie by the innocent question. He put on a quick smile, determined not to let Mido get to him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine" he replied. "Hey, thanks for the lesson, Percy. I'm gonna go practice a bit more. See you around."  
  
"Yeah, take care, Link."  
  
Link walked back around the house, waving to Percy as he went. Percy waved back to the boy clad in green, and returned to his house to read up a bit on Deku Stalks and their medicinal purposes.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Traveler, why did you choose now to come?" the Kokiri girl asked of Tristan.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, ma'am. I didn't choose to come here at all, and I'm pretty sure I'm not a traveler" he replied.  
  
"Not a traveler, The Traveler" the girl scolded him, placing more emphasis on the 't' than before, as if to make her point. It seemed as though the child was waiting for someone to come along, just not now. Or possibly not him. In any case, she was not about to let Tristan off the earth.  
  
"Okay, okay, The Traveler. But you still have the wrong guy! I don't even know what I'm doing here. I didn't come here by choice, and I can't seem to find a way out!" he yelled at the blonde girl.  
  
She seemed to consider that thought for a moment, and Tristan took the opportunity to look around the forest a bit more. The majority of the village still seemed to be in the second dimension, but the part closest to him, about a 10-foot circle around him, seemed to be alive and full. Another peculiarity he noticed was that 3D seemed to beget 3D, that is, a tree who no longer was in the confines of the polygons seemed to free its neighbor at the same rate as when Tristan was standing next to it.  
  
The Kokiri looked back at Tristan, interrupting his thought with "You may not be The Traveler, but you still are an intruder here. And the only way for one to enter these trees is to be a traveler. So, what is your business with the Kokiri?"  
  
"I, uh, need to speak with Link. He can help me out of here, I think." Tristan stuttered. The girl seemed to suffer from some mood swings, and severe ones at that. One second, she had him pinned to the floor, the next... well, she still didn't trust him, but at least Tristan was on his feet. He studied her clothing, now fully 3D. It was still the forest green that he remembered form the game, but the detail in every stitch was impressive, to say the least. The stitching on her tunic was in the shapes of leaves, and as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the leaves almost seemed to move.  
  
Finally, she opened her mouth, saying, "I'm not sure how you know about Link, or how you got here if you aren't a traveler, but maybe you can explain this..." With that, she gestured to herself.  
  
"Explain what?" Tristan knew exactly what she was talking about, but he wanted to know if she knew that she wasn't two-dimensional anymore.  
  
Her eyes narrowed with impatience as she answered "This! Me! The Trees! Can't you see what's happened to them? To me? One minute I'm walking along Kokiri Path to the shop, like I do everyday, and the next thing I know, I see you appear out of nowhere up on a ledge!"  
  
Tristan's eyes widened a bit at the last part. So he was invisible to the people of this world who weren't in the third dimension. "I can't explain this if I don't know what's going on, now can I? I'm just as confused as you are, and right now, I think things would clear up if I could speak to Link."  
  
She looked at Tristan. "It won't do much good talking to Link if he can't see you. Besides, I still have a few more questions for you. Like how you got one of the rarest items in all of Hyrule." The girl pointed to Tristan's staff lying on the ground beside them. "The wand of the Skull Kid."  
  
Tristan looked down at the stick lying on the ground. It didn't look like a wand to him. No, more of a walking stick. "Unless your Skull Children are much bigger than the one I met..." Or in the game, for that matter, Tristan thought to himself. "...then this is no wand. Look at it. The thing is much too big to be useful as a wand!" He told the girl standing in front of him.  
  
She shook her head. "No, that is definitely a wand. Look at the carvings on it. A lot of effort was put into making that piece of equipment you hold in your hands, and the Skull Children aren't known for the amount of work they put into things." She knelt down onto the mossy ground and ran her fingers over the markings etched into the piece of wood. "You should take good care of this. It's not everyday a person can relieve a Skull Kid of his wand." And with that, the Kokiri grasped the staff and tossed it to Tristan, who fumbled a bit on the catch, but kept it off the ground nevertheless.  
  
"Thank you... um, you know, I don't think we ever exchanged names. Mine's Tristan." He held his hand out.  
  
The girl eyed him warily for a minute before replying. "I'm Rhiannon, but most of the Kokiri call me Rhi. Nice to meet you Tristan." With that, the two shook hands. "I guess I should take you to Link..."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Link was walking along the dirt trail that ran through the Kokiri village, putting up his shield against imaginary foes. He had enjoyed the training session with Percy, and only stopped to get to the second part of Mido's challenge: a sword. Link wasn't all too cheerful about having to search all of the Kokiri Forest just to please the Kokiri snob.  
  
Navi hovered in front of Link's face when he stopped next to the pond adjacent to the shop. "Hey, are you okay, Link? You look all... depressed."  
  
Link sighed in response. "We've had this talk before Navi, and I'm out of ideas on where to look for a sword." He racked his brain as hard as he could, thinking of where a sword might possibly be located. Drawing a blank, Link stared at Navi. "Do you have any ideas? Even vague ones? All suggestions are welcome!"  
  
Navi shook her head as she fluttered around the head of her companion. "None. The only thing I can think of is to ask Saria to tell Mido to move. He listens to her and-"  
  
Link cut her off abruptly. "No way! I am not going to go running to Saria every time I have a problem with Mido! I'm gonna do this one on my own, without going to hide behind Saria. Further more, I'm going to tell Mido-" He suddenly stopped short after noticing something out of the corner of his eye. Link looked up at a ledge above the village. Navi looked as well, but when no motion or other sign of abnormalities appeared, she turned back to face Link. He, however, kept staring at the platform, certain he had seen something. There it was again! Link couldn't explain it, but there appeared to be a Kokiri girl standing there, next to some other person. Link couldn't make out anything other than the person wasn't a Kokiri, since their back was to him. Then, without warning, they vanished again.  
  
Blinking a few times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, Link watched for a minute or two as the pair faded in and out of view. Having enough of this trickery, Link ran towards the lower ledges where he could get to where the unusual activity was.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Tristan had spent the last few minutes talking with Rhi, getting to know first-hand about Kokiri life. Rather, he had been listening to Rhi talk to him, as he was still uncomfortable doing small talk. He had learned about the different crops they grew, where they were grown, different herbs that were native to the woods that the Kokiri used for medicine, along with many other pieces of information. Just as Rhiannon had finished explaining the different months and their significance, Tristan saw movement behind her. "Rhi, someone is coming right at us, and unless I'm mistaken, I think it's Link!"  
  
Rhi turned around to see her fellow Kokiri jogging in their general direction. She noticed, however, that his eyes were not focused directly on them. "Tristan, I don't think he can see us..."  
  
Tristan was already a bit ahead of his new friend, and was running towards Link with a bit of apprehension. What if the Hero of Time didn't want to help him? What if the Hero of Time didn't want to be helped? What if I can't get home? What if I die here? What if I alter history? All these questions raced through Tristan's mind as he raced towards the Hero of Time. As he got closer, Tristan slowed to a walk, then turned around and jogged with Link, trying to stay as close as possible to get the polygon effect to wear off.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Link thought he saw the mysterious figure running at him, but then it vanished into thin air again. Link shook his head and continued jogging to the spot where he had last seen the two people. Suddenly, a girl appeared leaning against a tree, a girl whom Link recognized as Rhiannon. However, what startled him was the teenage male who was running alongside him. Link gave a cry of surprise and lost his footing, tripping and falling upon the forest floor.  
  
Upon seeing the kid stumble and fall onto the ground, Tristan stopped short and grimaced. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid: getting off on the wrong foot. If Link didn't trust or believe him, Tristan was probably not getting home. He turned to the child sprawled out on the ground and extended his hand, saying, "Sorry about that, Link. I didn't mean to frighten you. My name's Tristan and I need your help."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Author's Note: Okay, this was a bit longer than usual. Also, it took a while to come out. I'm sorry, but I fell out of the fanfiction writing feeling. Hopefully, the next chapter will come together sooner. 


	7. Introductions

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Zelda. Only the plot changes and Tristan Nieves.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
A True Friend  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"Introductions"  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Link looked up at the teen extending his hand. Who was this guy? How did he know my name? How did he get here? Why didn't I see him? Is he trying to trick me? Why does he need my help? As Link tried to sort through these questions, Navi flew up to attack Tristan.  
  
"What's the big idea? You and Rhi hiding in the. wherever you were hiding! It's rude to go scaring people like that! We could have had a heart attack! You should think before you act!"  
  
Rhiannon held up her hand. "Fairy, we get the point. We're sorry and all, but we couldn't help it. He," Rhiannon pointed at Tristan, "made it so you couldn't see us. I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Navi whirled on Tristan. "So, you thought it would be funny to scare the heck out of me and my partner, huh? You're messing with the wrong fairy! I'm having a really bad day, and I'm not in the mood to play hide and go seek with a stupid." Navi looked at Tristan's ears and noticed quite a few things about them. First off, they weren't pointy, like most Kokiri. Secondly, they seemed to have a depth to them, unlike those of her companion. She turned to point this out to Link, but stopped when she saw not the flat face she had seen moments before, but a rounded face, much like that of the perpetrator standing before them.  
  
Link had also noticed these changes, having had the entire tirade of the angered fairy to examine himself. He seemed to feel a lot heavier than he had before. His clothes were no longer just a solid green, but darkened in some areas by perspiration. He looked around the forest with new eyes, seeing a contrast in the appearances. To one side, the part towards the edge of the forest, there was a surprising amount of life. Link had never noticed the fullness of the trees, the vastness of the forest. Then again, Link had never been quite full himself. Off to the other side, towards the Great Deku Tree and the Forest Unknown, the woods seemed the same as they had always been. Flat, monochromic in parts, and overall, quite dull. Still taken aback by this new change in appearance, and in substance, Link could only stare around at the trees he called home.  
  
Tristan was growing steadily more uncomfortably by the stunned silence his companions were caught up in. 'Okay,' he thought to himself, 'Link is shocked at this reality... that's understandable. I'll just wait for him to snap out of it... Any second now...' Tristan stood for a few more seconds before deciding that Link wasn't going to say anything coherent for quite some time. Not being a big fan of waiting, Tristan shook Link out of his reverie... at least, that's what he wished he could do. But then, Tristan wasn't big fan of drawing attention to himself either, so he suffered himself to wait for the young hero before him to snap out of it.  
  
Rhiannon, however had other ideas. She was no fan of waiting, and felt that Link had taken all the time he needed to adjust. After all, it had only taken her a few minutes. "Link! Get over it! Yes, it's a big change, but we have other problems on our hands!" She motioned at Tristan.  
  
Link jumped and looked back at Rhiannon, then at Tristan. He still didn't know how to deal with this new look, but he knew that he would have time to worry about it later. Right now, there was an intruder in the forest, and something had to be done about it. Trying to puff himself up to look more menacing, Link looked Tristan over. Immediately, the ears were noticed, along with the clothing. Upon further inspection, Link noticed the older boy's eyes were shaped differently, that he seemed older than the other boys in Kokiri Forest, and that the newcomer seemed to be asking for something with his eyes. What that something was, Link wasn't sure.  
  
Tristan wasn't very comfortable under the gaze of the Hero of Time to be. Tristan was never comfortable under anyone's gaze, but that was besides the point. He knew exactly how to help Link, quite like Navi, but human advice was probably easier to understand than fairy advice. "Ummm, Link? I know this is a lot to take in and all, but we need to get moving. The Deku Tree won't wait forever, you know."  
  
Link looked up at Tristan. "I still don't know who in the name of Farore you are, but you talk as though you know me... Who are you, and where do you come from?" Upon seeing the exasperated look on Tristan's face, he added, "And don't bother insisting about how crucial it is that we move rapidly. We aren't going anywhere until I know what's going on."  
  
Tristan sighed. Somehow, he thought that this would be a lot easier. Just explaining that he could help should be enough. That's how it worked in video games... But then, this was a video game no longer, ever since he arrived.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Trying his best to keep it reasonably short and believable, Tristan retold his tale of how he arrived in Hyrule. As he continued on his story, however, Tristan realized that his audience was listening to him with growing disbelief. As he listened to himself, even Tristan felt like an idiot, explaining about magical portals from other worlds. "And so, I'm here to, er, help you out..." After he finished, Tristan noticed Link was looking him over. 'This kid is really cynical for a ten year-old.' He thought to himself.  
  
Link didn't know what to say. Here he was, trying to reach the Great Deku Tree on a perfectly normal day. Then Mido comes out and puts a challenge in his path to their father. This was no big deal, since Link already had the shield, and now he only needed a sword. Though where he was going to find a sword, Link had no idea. Percy offers to teach him how to effectively use the shield, and the training goes excellently. Next thing he knows, a freak of nature appears in Kokiri Forest, changing Link's world around. Finally, the young child spoke. "I'm not sure whether I should believe you or not. On one hand, you offer to help me with Mido's challenge and any future obstacles I may have. But on the other, you don't come from around here, and aren't a Kokiri, yet you are in this forest. And you have parted a Skull Kid with his wand. If you aren't careful, or return that wand, the Skull Kids will eventually catch up with you. I don't want to be there when that happens, either." Link shuddered at the prospect of being within ten feet of an angry Skull Kid.  
  
"Look, I'll return the wand, I have no problem with that. All I want is to assist you in any way I can. I think if we get this over with quickly, I can go home faster." Tristan hoped that would be convincing enough for the skeptical youth.  
  
Link thought it over for a few more minutes. He looked up into Tristan's crystal blue eyes. "Well, I guess if it gets you out of my hair faster, you can come. You wouldn't happen to know of any places where I could find a sword, would you?"  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Tristan was thrilled when he learned that Link hadn't retrieved a sword yet. He knew this game, no, reality, like the back of his hand. Tristan led Link and his fairy partner to the hill that the Know-It-All Brother's house was on. "Um, Link? Up there, back behind the fencing, there's a hole in the wall... you need to crawl through it."  
  
Link looked up at the teenager. "Why? Is there a sword in there?"  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not." Upon receiving a glare from the youngster, Tristan quickly corrected himself. "Okay, you got me. Yes, there is a sword in there."  
  
With an excited yelp and a jump, Link tore up the hill towards the back wall. As Tristan and Navi followed behind, Tristan noticed that in the time it took explaining his story to Link, Navi, and Rhiannon, almost the entire forest had been completely changed into the third dimension. Shrugging to himself about the curiosities of this world, Tristan reached the back wall where Link stood, examining the hole.  
  
"Tristan? This hole is... kinda small." Were the only words that escaped the boys lips as he looked from the hole to Tristan, and back to the hole.  
  
Tristan chuckled to himself about the simplicity of the young hero's mind, but the chuckle got caught in his throat. Link was right. The hole was very small, even for the little Kokiri. Too small for Tristan, without a doubt. Well, maybe if he thought skinny thoughts, and tried really hard... and lost quite a few pounds. Then, it might be doable. "Link, why don't you go on ahead. I'll just tell you what's in there, since I don't think I'm gonna fit. When you get out of the hole, just turn left, and there should be a big rock rolling right towards you. It'll turn suddenly, down another corridor. I want you to follow it. Keep following it until you come to a gap in the wall. You should see a treasure chest. Open that, take the sword, and come back out here."  
  
Link blinked a few times, going over the directions in his head. Then with a nod, he wriggled through the small opening in the face of the wall. Tristan watched him go, then found the softest spot on the ground he could, sat down, and waited for the return of the hero.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. And special thanks to OracleVortex for helping out. We are co-writing a Majora's Mask fanfiction, "Yankees and Canucks" Some of it is up already, so go check it out. 


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